Citrus Intelligence: Pre-Rain Copper Timing, Korea Septoria Window and a Tree-Hole Fumigation Cap

Citrus Intelligence from MyAgLife arrives every Thursday with field intelligence for California citrus growers and their crop consultants. Subscribe free to get it by email.

Research through November 4, 2026, 10:26 a.m. PT. A very strong El Niño is the thread through this first issue: NOAA puts the odds of a strong-to-very strong event lasting through January–March 2027 at more than 83%, and California Citrus Mutual’s forecaster sees a high probability of above-average rain across central and Southern California.^5,6 That makes November the month to get pre-rain brown rot and Septoria protection on, and for Korea-bound navels and Valencias the first spray belongs on by Nov. 30.^4,8 Two events land today, Nov. 5: DPR’s hearing on its eyewash and decontamination rule and the industry’s preseason export meeting in Visalia.^1,2 It was otherwise a quiet week: Citrus Insider, the industry’s ACP and HLB news page, has posted no new quarantine notices since Aug. 20.¹⁹

This week in numbers

• $20M: Oranges and grapefruit, $10 million each, in USDA’s planned Section 32 purchase¹²
• 60: Tree-holes per acre per year DPR would allow for 1,3-D spot fumigation in orchards, down from 166^10,11
• 28.0M: Boxes of California lemons forecast for 2026-27, up 8% from last season¹⁴

For PCAs: Worker Safety, Export Timing and Wet-Weather Disease

1. All citrus, statewide: Today is the last day to weigh in on DPR’s eyewash and decontamination rule

Recent update · DPR, Oct 20, 2026; statewide

The Department of Pesticide Regulation holds a virtual hearing at 1:30 p.m. today, Nov. 5, on its proposed changes to pesticide worker-safety rules, with Spanish interpretation, and it extended the written comment period to the same day (it was set to close Nov. 2). The proposal, released Sept. 18, would require employers to provide decontamination supplies for employees who handle pesticides regardless of signal word, and it updates the requirements for eyewash stations, personal eyewash units and decontamination sites.¹

For citrus operations the key change is scope: decontamination supplies would follow any pesticide handling rather than the label’s signal word.¹ Sites and rigs that handle only lower-toxicity materials could need supplies they don’t carry now, a cost for growers and pest control businesses that run their own crews.

Next step: This morning, compare one mix-load site and one service rig against the proposed eyewash and decontamination list. If the changes don’t fit how your crews work, join the 1:30 p.m. Zoom hearing or email a comment to dpr26005@cdpr.ca.gov before the period closes.

Source: DPR hearing notice

2. Navels and Valencias, San Joaquin Valley: Korea’s first-copper window runs to Nov. 30 as export season opens

Recent update · CCQC, Oct 16, 2026, and meeting agenda for Nov 5; San Joaquin Valley

The California Citrus Quality Council holds its preseason export meeting at 8:30 a.m. today, Nov. 5, at the Visalia Convention Center, covering Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. UC Riverside’s Jim Adaskaveg, director of the NAVEK program, will cover the 2026/27 Septoria program, including its forecasting model and fungicide timing, and brown rot as a quarantine issue for China. Other sessions cover APHIS protocol requirements, Fuller rose beetle monitoring, California red scale, bean thrips and mites.² CCQC posted advisories on Korea’s first copper application and Septoria management (Oct. 16) and on China’s protocol and Phytophthora good agricultural practices (Oct. 15).³

For navels and Valencias shipped to Korea, UC IPM’s guidelines put the first spray between Oct. 15 and Nov. 30 and require it to cover the whole canopy; skirt sprays are not acceptable. Septoria occurs in the San Joaquin Valley and interior Southern California in cool, moist weather, shows up as rind pitting that is most visible after the fruit colors, and lowers grade and adds culls (UC IPM text updated January 2019).⁴

Next step: This week, list the blocks intended for Korea and confirm each has its first full-canopy spray on, or scheduled well before Nov. 30, against the CCQC advisory and current labels. If no one from your team is in Visalia today, ask your packinghouse for the meeting handouts.

Source: CCQC meeting agenda (PDF)

3. All citrus, Central Valley and Southern California: A very strong El Niño puts brown rot and gummosis back on the fall list

New this week · California Citrus Mutual, Oct 29, 2026; Central Valley and Southern California

In California Citrus Mutual’s Oct. 29 Weather Watch, WeatherAg meteorologist Scott Borgioli wrote that the El Niño has reached the very strong category and gave a high probability of above- to significantly above-average rain across CCM’s central and Southern California areas from November to May, especially December through March. He cautioned that these are probabilities, not guarantees.⁵ NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, in its Oct. 8 update, put the chance of a strong-to-very strong El Niño lasting through January–March 2027 at more than 83%.⁶

Wet winters punish lapsed copper programs. UC ANR’s Ben Faber wrote Oct. 22 that when growers let their copper guard down, the rains brought back brown rot, Septoria and Alternaria on fruit and Phytophthora gummosis on trunks, along with heavy snail activity in citrus canopies.⁷ UC IPM’s brown rot guidance calls for skirts pruned 24 inches or more off the ground and one copper spray between October and December, before or just after the first rain, repeated in January or February when rainfall is excessive (text updated January 2019).⁸

Next step: Over the next two weeks, flag blocks with low skirts, a brown rot or gummosis history, or poor drainage, and confirm pre-rain copper timing for each against UC IPM guidance and current labels. Get skirt pruning done before the first storm and add snail checks to wet-weather scouting.

Source: CCM Weather Watch

Pesticide-use note: Current California labels, permit conditions and county requirements govern pesticide use. Verify them before making or changing a recommendation.

For CCAs: Replanting Rules and the Business Side

4. Orchard replants, statewide: DPR moves to keep tree-hole fumigation with 1,3-D, under a tighter cap

New this week · DPR, Oct 30, 2026; statewide

DPR proposed Oct. 30 to make permanent the tree-hole, or tree planting site, method for 1,3-D, which it approved on an interim basis in September 2024 at the Tehama County agricultural commissioner’s request; that approval expires in September 2027.⁹ The proposal keeps the timing and setback requirements and adds a tighter limit of 60 treated tree-holes per acre per calendar year, down from 166 under the interim approval. Planting sites must be at least 15 feet apart center to center, or treated 24 hours apart if closer, with a minimum 36-inch injection depth.^10,11

DPR describes the method as a spot treatment for replacing dead or diseased trees in an otherwise productive orchard, a way to delay wholesale replanting and the broadcast or strip fumigation that goes with it.¹⁰ For citrus blocks being reset tree by tree, the 60-hole cap sets how many replacement sites per acre can be fumigated in a year, so larger resets may need to be phased or planned as a full replant.

Next step: Before planning winter and spring resets, count expected replacement sites per acre on blocks slated for spot replanting and compare them with the proposed limit. Comments are open through Dec. 14; DPR will hold a hearing only if someone requests one in writing at least 15 days before the comment period closes.

Source: DPR announcement

5. Oranges and grapefruit, statewide: USDA plans $20 million in citrus purchases and wants fuel-cost data

New this week · California Citrus Mutual, Oct 29, 2026; statewide

USDA plans to buy $20 million of fresh citrus, $10 million of oranges and $10 million of grapefruit, through its Section 32 program, part of a broader $472.5 million commodity purchase announced Oct. 29. Section 32 buys help stabilize markets and supply charitable organizations and federal nutrition programs. California Citrus Mutual says it will tell the industry when bids open.¹² Separately, USDA’s $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief program, announced in mid-October, will release payment rates for Title I commodities in November and announce the method for other eligible commodities later. Specialty crop growers are encouraged to send data on higher fuel costs to HarvestFuel@usda.gov.¹³

Neither program yet says how California citrus will share in it: the purchase depends on the solicitations, and the fuel payments for non-Title I crops depend on a method USDA hasn’t set. The fuel-cost data is the one input growers can supply now, and USDA says pre-filled applications will go to producers with a Login.gov account linked to USDA.¹³

Next step: This month, pull 2026 fuel receipts and gallons by operation so the numbers are ready to send, and make sure each grower has a Login.gov account linked to USDA before applications open. Ask packinghouse sales staff whether they plan to bid on the orange or grapefruit solicitations.

Source: California Citrus Mutual

Market snapshot: Navel Quotes Ease as the Valencia Season Ends

USDA AMS shipping-point trends, Nov 3; NASS forecast, Oct 9 · Navels, lemons, grapefruit, all citrus

USDA’s first 2026-27 forecast has every California citrus crop at or above last season: navels up 2%, mandarins up 3%, lemons up 8%, grapefruit up 9% and Valencias unchanged.¹⁴ In USDA’s Nov. 3 shipping-point trends, first-grade navel quotes were lower for most sizes, lemons were mostly unchanged and grapefruit held. The same report called the last of the South and Central District California Valencias, with supplies too light to establish a market (“LAST REPORT”).¹⁵ These are f.o.b. shipping-point prices for the Central and Southern California and Arizona district, not grower returns.

Navel oranges Central & S. Calif. and Ariz. · first grade, 7/10-bu cartons	40–56s mostly $25.60–28.50, 72s $22.75–24.95, 88s $19.55–21.50. Shipments moderate; first-grade 40–72s fairly light; prices lower except Choice 40–56s.15
Lemons Central & S. Calif. and Ariz. · first grade, 7/10-bu cartons	115–200s mostly $28.50–31.60, 95s $27.75–30.50. First grade supplies light; 125s higher, Choice 75s and 140s lower, others generally unchanged.15
Grapefruit, Rio Red Central & S. Calif. and Ariz. · first grade, 7/10-bu cartons	32s mostly $25.50–27.60, 40s $23.50–25.60. Supplies fairly light, trading moderate, prices generally unchanged.15
2026-27 crop forecast California · USDA NASS, Oct. 9 · 80-lb boxes	Navels 42.0 million boxes, Valencias 8.5 million, mandarins 32.0 million, lemons 28.0 million, grapefruit 4.8 million. Next update Nov. 10.14,16

From MyAgLife

When orchard soils stay wet, citrus and avocado roots can suffer

By MyAgLife Newsroom · October 30, 2026

The other wet-winter risk: saturated soil can starve roots of air, dropping leaves and fruit and collapsing canopies on flat or mulched ground. A useful read before the storms on how that injury differs from Phytophthora and what drainage does about each.

Read the article

Coming week watchlist

Nov 5 All citrus, statewide: DPR eyewash and decontamination hearing, 1:30 p.m. on Zoom; written comments close the same day.¹

Nov 5 Export citrus, San Joaquin Valley: CCQC preseason export meeting, 8:30 a.m., Visalia Convention Center.²

Nov 10 All California citrus: USDA NASS Crop Production report with updated citrus forecasts.¹⁶

Nov 12 Statewide: NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s next El Niño update.⁶

Nov 30 Navels and Valencias for Korea: UC IPM’s first-spray window closes. Same day, applications are due for the northern district seat on CDFA’s Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee and for USDA’s Citrus Disease Subcommittee.^4,17,18

What are you seeing?

Email info@jcsmarketinginc.com and tell us your crop, county and biggest field question.

We may take it up in a future edition.

Editorial note: Source findings and regulatory descriptions are summarized above. The “Next step” passages are MyAgLife editorial suggestions for field review, not source-issued prescriptions. This report does not award CE credit.

Sources

1. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Save the Date: Hearing on Proposed Eyewash and Decontamination Regulations,” Oct. 20, 2026.
2. California Citrus Quality Council, “Citrus Preseason Export Meeting,” agenda for Nov. 5, 2026 (PDF).
3. California Citrus Quality Council, advisories list: “Korea First Copper Application & Septoria Management,” Oct. 16, 2026, and “China Protocol and Phytophthora GAPs,” Oct. 15, 2026.
4. UC Statewide IPM Program, “Septoria Spot,” Pest Management Guidelines: Citrus, text updated January 2019.
5. Scott Borgioli, WeatherAg, for California Citrus Mutual, “Weather Watch Special Report Regarding El Niño,” Oct. 29, 2026.
6. NOAA Climate Prediction Center, “ENSO Diagnostic Discussion,” Oct. 8, 2026 (next issue Nov. 12).
7. Ben Faber, UC ANR Topics in Subtropics, “Learning from Past Rains,” Oct. 22, 2026.
8. UC Statewide IPM Program, “Brown Rot,” Pest Management Guidelines: Citrus, text updated January 2019.
9. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “DPR Proposes Regulations for Tree-Hole Fumigation,” Oct. 30, 2026.
10. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Notice of Proposed Regulatory Action, DPR 26-006,” Oct. 30, 2026 (PDF).
11. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Initial Statement of Reasons, DPR 26-006,” Oct. 30, 2026 (PDF).
12. California Citrus Mutual, “USDA Announces $20 Million in Orange and Grapefruit Purchases,” Oct. 29, 2026.
13. California Citrus Mutual, “Trump Administration Announces $8 Billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program,” Oct. 22, 2026.
14. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, “Crop Production,” Oct. 9, 2026 (reissued Oct. 23), citrus table and narrative (PDF).
15. USDA AMS Specialty Crops Market News, “National Shipping Point Trends,” Nov. 3, 2026, citrus section (PDF; the address shows the latest week).
16. USDA ESMIS, “Crop Production” release schedule (next release Nov. 10, 2026).
17. Citrus Insider, “CDFA Announces Northern District Vacancy on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee,” Oct. 30, 2026.
18. California Citrus Mutual, “USDA Seeks Applicants for NAREEE Advisory Board and Citrus Disease Subcommittee,” Oct. 29, 2026.
19. Citrus Insider, “News & Updates,” checked Nov. 4, 2026.
20. Photos: items 02 and 05, USDA photos by Richard Brassfield (public domain).